[6] The operation was part of an international coalition aimed at enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 which stipulated that "all necessary measures" shall be taken to protect civilians.

[13] The randomly generated codename, "Ellamy," is an alternative spelling of the Early Modern English word, Elami (E-la-mi), a musical solmisation designating the note E in the context of a tetrachord.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1973 passed on the evening of 17 March 2011 gave a mandate to countries wishing to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya militarily.

[16] On the afternoon of the 19 March, the Royal Navy Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Triumph[citation needed] fired Tomahawk cruise missiles.

[32] The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that Tornado and Typhoon fighters would be deployed to Italy at Gioia del Colle Air Base.

[33] The Prime Minister announced to the House of Commons on the 21 March at the start of a debate on the United Nations Security Council resolution that RAF Typhoons had been deployed to an Italian airbase (Gioia del Colle) and would fly in support of the No-Fly Zone.

The MoD reported that Royal Navy ships Triumph, Westminster and Cumberland remained in theatre for additional strikes and maritime patrol.

[39] RAF Tornado aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission fired Brimstone missiles against Libyan armoured vehicles that were reported to be threatening the civilian population of Ajdabiya.

[40] RAF Tornados from Gioia del Colle launched numerous armed reconnaissance missions, during the course of which ordnance released hit a total of 22 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces in the vicinity of Ajdabiya and Misrata.

Two RAF Tornados flying from Gioia del Colle engaged a Libyan armoured fighting vehicle and two artillery pieces with Brimstone missiles near Misrata.

[49] RAF Tornados reportedly launched successful attacks with Paveway IV and Brimstone missiles against ten armoured fighting vehicles south of Sirte.

From the start of Operation Ellamy up until 12 April, RAF aircraft had engaged over 100 main battle tanks, artillery pieces, armoured vehicles and SAMs.

[3] RAF Tornados and Typhoons attacked a pair of multiple rocket launcher vehicles and a light artillery piece reportedly firing on Misrata, as well as a self-propelled gun and tank.

[52] HMS Triumph was reported by the MoD to have launched two salvoes of Tomahawk missiles against command and control facilities, alongside precision strikes by RAF Tornados, Typhoons and coalition aircraft.

[52] HMS Liverpool intercepted the vessel MV Setubal Express heading for Tripoli, conducting a boarding party search with Royal Marines and finding trucks potentially of use to the Gaddafi regime.

[58] While engaged in surveillance operations off the coast of the rebel-held Libyan city of Misrata, HMS Liverpool came under fire from a shore battery, making her the first Royal Navy warship to be deliberately targeted since the Falklands War.

HMS Liverpool returned fire with her 4.5-inch main gun, silencing the shore battery, in the Royal Navy's first use of the weapon since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[58] RAF Tornado GR4s hit two Nanuchka-class corvettes in Al Khums naval base and destroyed a facility in the dockyard constructing fast inflatable boats which Libyan forces had reportedly used to mine Misrata and attack vessels in the area.

[66] HMS Liverpool used her main gun to fire warning shots at pro-Gaddafi maritime forces moving along Libya's Mediterranean coast just west of the city of Misrata, amid concerns a threat was posed to civilians due to recent repeated attempts to mine the harbour.